I don't observe much the young Moon: not visible from my garden, low in the sky, short time to sketch,... But yesterday I took the challenge by installing my scope on the local square. Fun to see all the neighbours pasing by: "what are you doing in the cold?".Seeing conditions en transparancy weren't good and getting worse with the Moon going down. But Petavius is big enough to handle this. The Rimae is a fracture 60 x 3 km easily visible even in a small scope.After one hour I had to stop sketching with the Moon disappearing in the clouds. But better a non-finished moonsketch than no sketch at all!

Jef, That crescent moon is a tough one to sketch even in late winter because of the short time and low altitude.I think you captured Petavius beautifully. I barely looked at it in the sky last night trying to beat the moonset last night. Now I get to see it in your fine sketch.

Hahahaaa!!! What a sight!!! I really admire you, Jef, and not only for this superb drawing! Actually, we astronomy-buffs should do that more often... pack our gear, go to the nearest town centre and install ourselves there, even when it's illuminated like a Christmas tree. Thanks for showing us the way!!!

I found another sketch of Petavius that I never scanned because I wasn't happy with the result. It is the first time I sketched the same lunar object once in waxing and once in waning moon.Side by side they make clear the sun is coming from another side. A lower sun in the sky (second sketch) makes also the shadows longer and more detail visible on the crater floor. I know... not really a scientific discovery, but still fine to have the proof on paper

It is nice to see these side by side. I went after these early and late lunation sketches of Petavius crater a few years back.I like these two sketches and they really do look quite different at the eyepiece as you show them.

Jef I like the comparison. I've wanted to do a super close up study if that rille in the crater. Harold did a nice job with it too. It is an interesting feature. I like what your drawings reveal in terms of illumination of this feature. And your a brave man to set up in public like that - I always enjoy the quiet solitude of the exercise.